1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method for processing characters or an image document and outputting, and to a computer-readable memory medium storing therein a program for realizing such a method. More particularly, the invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a print time informing method for calculating a time that is required for a printing process before the start of printing and informing the user of the print time, and to a computer-readable memory medium storing therein a program for realizing such a method.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, in a printer driver for forming print data to be transmitted to a printing apparatus, the user has to perform various print setups, for example, he has to set: a print object to designate print quality such as print resolution, print gradation, or the like; a print layout to designate a both-side print, an N-in-one page print, or a booklet print; a paper delivery method to designate staple, saddle stitch, or sort; a paper feeding method to designate a paper feeding unit every page; and the like. To perform the print setups by using such a printer driver, the user has to set them in consideration of an effect of each print setup, so that an advanced knowledge is necessary.
For this purpose, the recent printer driver has a plurality of print environments defining a plurality of print setups, and a name (standard print, 2-page print, confidential, bit map development, photograph image, booklet print, etc.) which can be easily understood by the user is added to each print environment and displayed to a user interface. Therefore, if the user discriminates the name of the print environment from a plurality of print environments (also called “print profiles”) and selects a desired print environment, a plurality of print setups defined among the print environments (print profiles) are automatically performed and the print data can be formed on the basis of the print setup. Therefore, the user can relatively easily obtain a desired print output.
However, although the printer driver takes into consideration a purpose of allowing the user to easily understand the print environment, nothing is considered about a method of allowing the user to understand a time that is required for a printing process in accordance with each print environment. In this case, the print time largely differs depending on the print environment and when the user arbitrarily selects the print environment, it is presumed that a print time longer than he has expected is required. Use efficiency of the printer driver is not high for the user from a viewpoint of time.
There is a method whereby the printer driver forms print data, in a printer and a print server, print quality (resolution, gradation, data amount) of the print data is analyzed, a time that is required for the printing process is calculated, and the user is informed of a time which is required for a print output and the time at which the print output is obtained. However, according to the method whereby, in the printer and print server, the time is calculated and informed to the user, in order to obtain a print output by another method when the user is dissatisfied with the time, it is necessary to form the print data again from an application and dissatisfaction of the user still remains.
The contents of the print data which is analyzed in the printer and print server are no more than the print quality regarding the data amount, print resolution, and print gradation of the print data. There is not a method which takes into consideration a print time which is required for conditions (other than the print quality) such as a print layout or the like for designating an N-in-one page print (the print data of N pages is reduced, arranged, and printed onto a recording paper of one page) or a booklet print (print pages are rearranged in booklet order and print data of four pages is reduced, arranged, and printed in accordance with a double spread direction in which they are booklet printed onto a recording paper of one page). The time which is actually required for the printing process cannot be accurately calculated.
A direct printer such that a memory card slot is formed in the printer and an image stored in a memory card can be recorded without passing through a host computer has also been proposed. A small printer represented by an ink jet printer such that a color image like a photograph can be recorded has also been put into the market. Photograph image quality can be easily obtained.
Recording media having an ink receptor layer are also being improved, and they have a feature such that an image which is sharper than that in case of recording onto a plain paper and has excellent coloring performance can be recorded and a texture of the paper is good. Owing to those recording media, a degree of freedom of the user who selects a proper medium in accordance with a required image level is being widened more and more. Therefore, a variety of recording modes for improving quality of a recording image can be set. The number of recording modes lies within a range from a few kinds to tens of kinds. Since the time that is required for recording also changes in dependence on the recording medium and a setting state of the recording mode, a print mode which takes a time longer than expected by the user also exists. It is difficult for the user to easily select a desired print mode.
The problem is not limited to the print time. In the current print system, it is difficult that the user compares and examines the relations between the image qualities which are obtained from the recording media and the costs thereof, selects a proper relation from the several media, and executes the recording of high cost performance.
That is, there is a drawback such that it is difficult to integrally judge the print quality, the costs which are required for printing, and the recording time before instructing the print through the printer driver and select the kind of recording medium (hereinafter, referred to as a media type) and the print mode, so that a working efficiency deteriorates.